Serbia advances rehab at 381-MW Bajina Basta, 1,050-MW Djerdap 1

Serbian utility Elektroprivreda Srbije has advanced the refurbishment of the 381.6-MW Bajina Basta hydroelectric project on the Drina River and the 1,050-MW Djerdap 1 project on the Danube River.

Reconstruction work began June 2, 2009, at Bajina Basta in Perucac, state news agency Tanjug said. Elektroprivreda Srbije awarded a contract in 2007 to Andritz Hydro for complete modernization of the project, which was built in 1966. (HydroWorld 11/23/07) The 65 million euro (US$97 million) contract includes complete modernization of electro-mechanical equipment, increasing each of the four turbine-generators to 108 MW from 95.4 MW.

Total project capacity upon completion, expected by December 2012, will be 432 MW, a 13 percent increase.

Speaking at a ceremony launching construction, Energy Minister Petar Skundric said Serbia plans to invest 9 billion euros (US$12.7 billion) in the energy sector over five to seven years. He said nearly 5 billion euros (US$7 billion) will be used to increase production capacity, while 4 billion euros (US$5.6 billion) will be allotted to major reconstruction and regular maintenance, including work on environmental projects.

Russian firm to equip Serbia’s 1,050-MW Djerdap 1

Russia’s Power Machines has signed a supplementary agreement to a contract for rehabilitation and equipment supply of the 1,050-MW Djerdap 1 project. The equipment manufacturer said the contract is worth US$140 million.

Power Machines is to supply a turbine and 201-MW generator to the project and proceed with partial renovation of the remaining five units to increase unit capacity to 201 MW from 174 MW. One unit per year is to be renovated with eventual completion in 2015.

In April, a Power Machines affiliate, Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod, completed bench testing for the tenth and final replacement governor of the 280-MW Djerdap 2 hydroelectric plant on the Danube.

Djerdap 1 and 2 are the Serbian half of the Iron Gates hydropower and navigation complex, which includes the 1,050-MW Portile de Fier project on the Romanian side of the Danube. (HydroWorld 1/5/07)